The South African city of Cape Town may at the end of April become the first major city in the world to run out of water. The city has been through severe droughts for the past three years. Many have already blamed this on the rise in population growth and the alleged failure of the local government to tackle the problem.

Scientists are now saying that what is happening in Cape Town may soon happen all over the world. Recent research suggests that even if the international community manages to keep global temperatures from rising more than the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2° C (3.6° F), the changes already in place will leave at least a quarter of the world’s land more arid than it already is.

So what lessons can other African countries draw from what is happening in Cape Town, and how can other cities prevent themselves from suffering a similar fate?